But although the whole dining room switcheroo worked for us, we wondered at the time if it would potentially turn off a large group of people who rank a formal dining room up there with hardwood flooring and a fireplace (as in it’s one of their must-haves). Lately it seems like a lot more people are embracing open living, in fact, it’s one of the fastest growing home trends these days. So our question is this: do you prefer a separate formal dining room or a dining area within a larger space?

54 Comments

I think another question to ask is who has a dining room at all. I also have a 60’s ranch (that I LOVE) but it has a smaller kitchen. There is no way I could seat more than 3 in my kitchen for a meal. (plus who wants to eat with all of the mess!) so I use my dining room all of the time–but it was built as a dining room living room combo. But I know so many people who don’t use theirs or use that room for something entirely different. I love mine!

Our house doesn’t have a dining room, just a small breakfast nook in the kitchen, and it is on the top of my list of must have’s for our next house. I am very particular about layout though. The dining room must be easily accessible to both the kitchen and living room. I’ve never understood those newer homes where the dining room is off by itself at the front of the house.

A dining room was a must-have for us. Our first piece of furniture we bought together after we got engaged was an old antique dining room table at a garage sale for $50. We refinished it and recovered the seats and it’s our favorite piece of furniture, so when it came to house-hunting, we knew we had to have a specific place for our beloved antique table!

Like previous people stated though, our house is older- our kitchen only has a bar area that seats two, so we use our dining space regularly.

We’re huge fans of open living also so having a separate formal dining room was never on our “must have” list when looking for homes. Our home has an open dining area off the living room (kinda like yours except our kitchen is also open to everything with only a bar/island separating the spaces) and we love it!

In my dream home, I would want a large formal dining room that could be closed off from the rest of the house (but with some nice french doors so it would still feel open). My reason for this is that A) I have a huge family and being able to have everyone sit at the same table at Thanksgiving would be really awesome and B) we have lots of pets so being able to eat with guests in peace – i.e. shutting the animals out during dinner – sounds like Heaven. Currently we have a tiny “open dining area” and it makes me nuts because it just becomes a dumping area for mail and whatever else gets thrown on the table. Because of that, it still doesn’t get used. But again, it’s all about personal preference.

this is such a great question! we are thinking about building a (small) home and have been looking at floorplans. at first i really wanted a formal dining room (admittedly, it was partially just so that i could have a formal dining room to decorate!). but in a small home, it wasn’t justifiable for us to use that much space for a room that would only get used for holidays and parties.

i say as long as there is adequate room for a good-sized table and chairs (and not just a corner of the kitchen), a formal dining room isn’t completely needed. but yes – my dream home would have one. :)

I much prefer open concept. We have a 1940s Cape Cod style home with a separate formal dining room and a kitchen too small for at able, though they’re connected by a door way. The open concept would make the room seem bigger (though we’re not willing to undertake that renovation). I don’t think a formal dining room PLUS an eat in kitchen (or open concept living room like you guys have) would appeal to me as a home buyer. I don’t want a room that we’d only use for big holidays, and I’d much prefer an open space that we could “dress up” for big events in which we could seat everyone.

Unlike Staz, I don’t think we’d have the self-restraint to keep the doors to a formal dining room closed and the room uncluttered!

As a young apartment-dweller, I don’t have a dining room anyway. But every time I have people over, no matter how large the group or how small my kitchen, *everyone* gravitates toward hanging out in the kitchen instead of the living room! When I finally buy a house, I will only consider an open plan. That way, there will be no division between the kitchen and the hanging out area.

We don’t have an eat-in kitchen or a formal dining space, but we have a gigantic living room. So, half of it has our dining table and china hutch, and we’ll market that as a living-dining combination when we resell. We’re pretty casual people, so I don’t think a formal dining room is really a priority. Having a sizable kitchen table along with a formal dining room seems kind of silly to me.

My husband and I just bought a 1928 storybook cottage with a nice big formal dining room. Considering our old house didn’t really have a dining space at all, I absolutely love it.

I prefer houses with different rooms and defined spaces. A lot of our friends have newer houses with an open floor plan and while they are really nice for entertaining, I think I’d tire of being in the same one big room all the time. I like all the different areas in my house.

I actually think formal dining rooms are making a comeback. I think the economic uncertainty has something to do with it – people want to eat out less – and the whole green movement has given people a new appreciation for antiques and an ‘older’ way of living. I think not just dining rooms but what they represent – big family dinners on Sunday, staying home, talking to each other, tradition – is something that will continue to grow. When times are tough, people retreat, they cocoon, they spend less and value what they already have more. Just my opinion.

I personally prefer the formality of a dining room, and separate rooms in general. I find with open living spaces there is no element of surprise – you can look in the front window and see everything from the living area all the way to the kitchen. There’s no drama to it. I like how dining rooms make a meal feel special. They enhance the food and create an ambience different from your everyday.

I second wanderluster, they’re on their way back.
Its a luxury for me. It was always a pleasure to grab a book and some cereal and sequester myself in the formal dining room under a huge chandelier dimmed appropriately for evil mornings from childhood through college.
New York living and 90s to me equate with the whole open plan dining thing, fun for then glad it is over. Plus it just feels uncomfortably open like sitting with your back to a door.
In my first house I am so glad to have the separate space, the rest of the place may be casual or modern convenience but my dining room is an altar to the high god of formal and traditional. I still sigh in contentment if I can escape there myself but its especially great for formal entertaining, holiday gatherings, as a huge flat surface that can house temporary projects that are too big for desks yet out of the way, for informal entertaining as a space to layout drinks and more and just unpack everyone from the kitchen.
So yes. a near must and though I wouldn’t want to give up my wood floors or fireplace the only thing you will ever really have to wrench from my cold dead hands are solid hardwood doors, none of these sub 4″ thick modern things either, .

A formal dining room was most definitely not on my list of must-haves, but since one came with the house I just went with it. I have a semi-open first floor plan with a large open kitchen and a dining room behind double french doors. Works great for holidays and large gatherings (most everyone wants to be in the kitchen, but the dining room is used for overflow when it’s time to eat). I also like to host small dinner parties so it gets fairly regular use. Now to me a formal living room is much more of a waste than a dining room. I immediately made my formal living room into an office/reading area where it gets heavy, daily use from all members of the household. Best decision ever. I had a formal living room in my previous house and it was a pass-through room.

I prefer an open floorplan with a dining space, either in or adjacent to the kitchen. I have always (even as a kiddo) found separate dining rooms for the most part to be stuffy, confining and closed off. The only exception would be a very large dining room with lots of windows and easy access to other rooms. I LOVE the arrangement in the picture!

I think it all depends on the type of people you are. I like a formal dining room…away from the mess of the kitchen. In general I prefer defined spaces that flow well, over “open living”, and I’m prett sure open living has reached it’s peak trend-wise, and is already on the way out. I hate to be mean, but the picture on this post is really ugly, it looks like you should be doing a mood board for it.

I want a space for a dining table and chairs, but I do not feel a strong need for there to be a separate room for that. I really enjoy open floor plans and would be just fine working a dining area into that type of space.

Open floor plan! That way, the cook(s) aren’t alienated from their guests when entertaining. I love the idea of a kitchen with an island looking over a living/dining area. That way guests can linger over the countertop while talking to the hosts and not be in the way or feel like they’re in the cooks’ space. They can also sit easily gravitate in and out of the living room area, and you still get many of the benefits of the eat-in kitchen — just swap your everyday settings with more formal ones when guests come over, and voila! More or less what you’ve got goin’ on in your photo here.

I think it offers an alternative for the buyer who doesn’t like to entertain formally, but it’s DEFINITELY NMS. I wouldn’t say “out” but just another trend. And it’s great for those who like that kind of entertaining solely. I personally couldn’t take it AT ALL. :P I love houses with both – a seperate open dining area for more casual gathering, and a large formal dining room for dinner parties and holidays. I LOVE my formal dining room! :)

We have a 50’s ranch- and you walk right into a room from the front door. The previous owners used it as a living room, but I changed it to a dining room.
Yes, we could definitely live without it, but I love having the hutch in there to display our wedding china and the idea of a place to entertain where all 10 family members can sit and chat for hours after a meal. Those dirty dishes- out of sight/out of mind in the kitchen!!!

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Hey, we're Sherry & John. This is where we chronicled 7 years of our lives as we fixed up 3 homes, had 2 children, became accidental authors and product designers, and shared our adventures (and misadventures) with the world. Now it's a time capsule of sorts, complete with nearly 3,000 posts, projects, and updates.